


like we're made of starlight

by flyonmylove



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Best Friends, Coming of Age, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Graduation, High School, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 10:11:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19060546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flyonmylove/pseuds/flyonmylove
Summary: When Kiyoshi Teppei comes back to Japan in the fall following his stay in Los Angeles, he comes back with new experiences, a new look, a new knee, -- and Nijimura Shūzō. With the new addition to Seirin, it's time to finish out their training for the Winter Cup -- and their last and third year of high school.





	like we're made of starlight

**Author's Note:**

> tell them how the crowds went wild, tell them how i hope they shine.

It’s three hours into their twelve hour flight that Teppei realizes perhaps he’s too large for planes. He pulls his legs toward him in an uncomfortable position, the kid in front of him leaned back to an incredible degree that he’s surprised it isn’t touching his knees. He does have the window seat though, letting his eyes flicker to Nijimura, who seems to be doing his best to not be annoyed at Alex’s bun poking against his cheek as she sleeps against him.

Still, there’s excitement bubbling inside of him that he can’t quite quell, the thought of returning home -- to his grandparents, to his team -- that makes it all the worthwhile. Sure he can’t play, but just being back home feels right. He’ll miss LA, though. The constant warmth, the breeze on the beach, and maybe he’ll miss going to the ramen shops with the friends he made in his rehabilitation program. He learned a lot too, his pack of MAGIC: The Gathering cards slipped into his carry-on a reminder, his improved English, and even sense of style, his newly shortened hair and American brands of clothes packed in his luggage and fabrics keeping him currently cozy. He almost feels like a new person, and maybe he is a little, if his newly healed knee is any indicator. 

The surgery itself he prefers not to remember, only Alex there when he awoke, indescribable pain radiating through his leg, so much it feels like when it first was shattered. It’s not until the doctors realize he’s conscious from anesthesia that they finally give him pain meds and he knocks back out, conscious every few hours only to fall back asleep. He starts off with ice chips, his stomach sensitive to whatever they used to knock him out, and he keeps the vomit bucket on hand until it makes its way out of his system. Alex decides he deserves something better than hospital food and brings him fast food, a reminder of home even if he’s content with what they’re serving him. She’s too nice, he feels bad when she goes so out of her way, and thinks of how motherly she is and how Kagami and Himuro-san got to be practically raised by her. 

He’s supposed to keep off of the leg for a bit, to let it heal and it’s the most excruciating part of it. Not being able to move, to roam in any capacity that isn’t to go to the bathroom. The TV shows are a nice new study method for his English, at least, and a distraction when his pain flares. It’s the worst the second dau, he learns, when the medicine isn’t at its strongest and the new pins are settling into your bones. If he weren’t him he’d be hitting the button for his medicine every two seconds, but he’d rather breathe through it no matter what the nurses encourage. 

After the first week or so he’s finally allowed on crutches, his cast a new weight and unfamiliar, and if he’s honest hard to balance. They keep the wheelchair nearby, for policies sake. They let him in the ‘game’ room in the pediatrics wing, a few old N64s and Gamecubes hooked up to TVs and tables littered with card games and boardgames that he’s never seen in his life, and it makes him miss his Hanafuda deck in his room back home. The youngest ones seem to take a liking to him at first, sick in all kinds of degrees that make his heart twinge. But they’re bright, and bold, and they teach him everything he needs to know about Go Fish and Sorry!. They’re easy enough, and he lets them win. The older kids tend to keep to themselves. All kinds of diseases and illnesses and disabilities that keep them there, keep them secluded to newcomers. It’s once they get curious about him that they finally invite Kiyoshi to one of their MAGIC games, and he’s in for a real challenge. It reminds him of the feeling of playing, the logistics and the mind games and the pressure. It’s also deeply rooted in all kinds of lore he has no idea about, and he’s gotta hand it to them, it’s pretty interesting. He hopes to teach Hyuuga and the others when he gets back. 

Their games start from weekly to daily, and Kiyoshi starts to feel like he’s part of some kind of team almost again. A support group, he supposes, friends by circumstance, but it’s fun, and it makes the unnamed loneliness of being here by himself less present, especially once he learns about their lives and each journey. Eventually it turns somber, when someone doesn’t turn up, and he should’ve seen it coming, but it’s a stark reminder of where he is. It’s so much different than his last hospital experience, kept to his room strictly unless for his therapy, a long, grueling almost year, peppered with visits from Hyuuga or Riko or even Izuki, never often but enough to keep him sane, not that they would know. He decides to keep it that way with these new friends too, arms length the safest bet. 

It feels like years when they finally take his cast off, his leg foreign almost, somehow more weighed and weightless at the same time when he lifts it. He can finally do physical therapy, they tell him, a doctor whose name he still can’t remember, mostly because it’s a new one every month or so because of an emergency or incorrect timing. But his leg is good, they say. He can walk perfectly. Run and play basketball, perhaps one day in the future again, after a lot of training and therapy. It’s hopeful, and it’s good news he can tell his friends and grandparents on the next video call home. He’s not letting himself get too invested in it, not right now, at least. He doesn’t wanna get his hopes up of what he can and can’t do. 

He can however, start going to school again, Alex beams. It’s Kagami’s school whenever he trains here, Seirin’s sister school, she tells him, Himuro went here for about a year or two. And she knows someone from his area that goes there he might be familiar with. It’s exciting, Kiyoshi has to admit. He’ll be able to go until his PT is done and gets to go back home in the fall. It’ll be nice to not be in the confines of white walls. 

He meets Nijimura the first day, waiting for him outside the front of the building. Their interactions back in middle school were sparse, but he’d be dense to not remember someone with his talent. Teppei almost is surprised he’s not considered one of the Uncrowned Kings, with his shooting skills. Seeing him again brings about a small bit of homesickness, but there’s more relief than anything. They talk about basketball and their teams, Shūzō plays at the public school here, and Teppei talks about Seirin. They talk about his knee and the Kings and the Miracles, he updates him on everything that happened and the rage on his face reminds him of Hyuuga. They’re good now, though, Teppei assures him, their large, accidental get together for Kuroko’s birthday. Shūzō mentions he’s glad Kuroko’s found his own team, his own home, and Teppei agrees. He thinks he can see a bit of that homesickness in his eyes, too.

Shūzō helps him with getting to classes, it’s chaotic and loud, but the excitement gets to him. They go to a few pep rallies, a few baseball games. It’s fun, and the difference in American schools is incredible. They even go to prom, at Alex’s encouragement. Neither of them have dates, but it’s fun; Alex takes a million pictures and they eat at a Mexican restaurant and eventually dance along to the long list of American songs Teppei’s never heard before, but tries to remember for later. He finds the group dances to be the most fun, and immediately texts everyone back home about it. Kagami pokes fun at him, old memories of middle school dances coloring his view, but says it makes him miss LA. Talking to Kagami makes him miss Tokyo.

In between the excitement it’s doctor’s appointments and workouts. His physical therapist is sweet, a small blonde lady who’s got more fire in her than most. She reminds him of Riko. He always makes sure to send her a text after their sessions mostly to update her, a little to tell her that he misses her. Their small jump at dating hardly lingers, not after all this time, and especially not when Hyuuga looks at her like she’s hung the stars and the moon just for him and she pretends he’s not the reason she even decided to become their coach. She’s still his Riko though, small and strong and ready to fight for her boys. He only hopes he gets to see her and Hyuuga get married himself one day. He’s really gonna have to get to work when he gets back home to push them together. Izuki will be a good help, too. God, he misses his friends.

Summer is long and hot, but Shūzō makes it worthwhile. He takes him to all of the places Himuro introduced him to, and it’s like a passing of the torch. They talk about him, too. Shūzō mentions he used to be a delinquent and Teppei tells him about Hyuuga’s attempt and Shūzō almost falls off the fence he was balancing on when he shows him the photos from his phone. They play ball, and Shūzō takes him to meet his siblings and his dad in the hospital. He’s lively, even despite his sickness. He reminds him of his grandparents, and how he should call more often. He decides to stop in whenever he has an appointment for his knee, and he seems thankful for the company in between his own children. He makes sure to promise that he’ll send letters and call when he goes back to Japan.

He wants Shūzō to go back Japan with Teppei. He should be home his last year of high school, his last year of youth. He came all this way for him and his illness, he needs to live for himself for a bit. Teppei agrees, even when he pretends to not hear them argue through the heavy doors of the hospital room about it. They play until it’s well past dark and Shūzō can’t feel the heat of anger burning off of him. They talk it over burgers now that he’s had time to clear his head. Teppei mentions since he can’t play, maybe Shūzō can join Seirin himself. He decides he’ll go back to Japan. 

Japan…

The overhead voice of the flight attendant breaks his trip down memory lane, and jolts Alex awake. Has he been zoning out that long? Regardless, he stretches his legs and arms above him. The woman continues on over the collective awakening of everyone around him. They’ll be landing at Narita Airport in five minutes, and to get ready to collect their things.

Welcome to Japan.

**Author's Note:**

> hi! i've been planning on this fic for a while and this is just a taste! i've been a fan of knb since 2015 and this is my first venture into it! i can't wait to write more of the actual story, but this kept calling out to me to be done first! i hope you enjoy it, and my absolute love and adoration for the third years of seirin. truly my love letter to them. <3 :)


End file.
